Mar
Little Stranger is a novel by Sarah Waters, first published in 2009. The story follows Dr. Faraday and his family who move into Hundreds Hall, a former ancestral home of the Ayres family. Little Stranger is set in post-war England and explores themes of power dynamics between classes, inherited trauma, psychological horror and the supernatural.
The novel was critically acclaimed upon its release and was longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. Little Stranger also won both the 2010 South Bank Show Award for Literature from London’s South Bank Centre and an honorary award at the British Book Awards.
In 2018 Little Stranger was adapted into a feature film directed by Lenny Abrahamson starring Ruth Wilson, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter.
The Little Stranger has resonated with readers around the world for over a decade, inspiring discussion on themes of class, power dynamics and the supernatural. Here are 10 facts about Little Stranger to help you understand this classic novel:
1. Little Stranger was Waters’ fourth novel and is set in post-war England in 1947.
2. Little Stranger is considered to be part of a ‘gothic trilogy’ which includes her previous works, Tipping the Velvet (1998) and Fingersmith (2002).
3. The novel follows Dr Faraday as he moves into Hundreds Hall where he meets its inhabitants – Mrs Ayres, Caroline and Roderick.
4. Little Stranger is a psychological horror story with elements of the supernatural, inspired by classic works of gothic fiction such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.
5. Little Stranger has been adapted for film twice – first in 2018 and again for television in 2019.
6. Little Stranger is set in rural Warwickshire, England but was filmed mostly on location in Ireland due to its similar landscape and architecture.
7. Little Stranger explores themes of class, inherited trauma and power dynamics between classes during post-war Britain.
8. Little Stranger won an honorary award at the British Book Awards and was longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction.
9. Little Stranger has been translated into 15 languages and published in more than 40 countries.
10. Little Stranger was acclaimed by critics upon its release and is still widely discussed today as a beloved piece of classic gothic fiction.
This is an example of Little Stranger’s enduring legacy as a horror novel with themes that are still relevant today – making it a must-read for any fan of the genre!
